Romans 3:5-8

5But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? ( I speak in a human way.) 6By no means! For then how could God judge the world? 7But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? 8And why not do evil that good may come?—as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just.

In the last post, we looked at the first four verses of this tricky little passage which begins Romans 3. In it, Paul answers an objection that could be raised against him – How can the Jews be both in a secure covenant relationship with God and yet be condemned by God? His answer was that being given privileges by God, like the OT and prophets, does not equal obedience. Sin still ruins relationship with God – even great King David knew it, and Paul quotes him from Psalm 51:4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. God’s character is not in question – sinful humanity’s is. God is faithful, and declared justified and blameless in his judgment. God would be proved true, even if the whole world were a bunch of liars. 

Paul could have moved on from there, but in vv5-8 he quickly squashes a counter-objection – though by the sounds of it, he doesn’t think very highly of it at all, …as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just (v8). That’s some powerful language. Let’s look at this counter objection.

* If the sinfulness of humanity serves to show the righteousness of God when he judges as (as vv1-4 say), then isn’t God unfairly inflicting wrath on us? Aren’t we doing him a favour by showing everyone how righteous he is? How can he judge us for that?! He should thank us! *

Paul doesn’t buy this for a second – and I hope you don’t either! It’s just word play – and Paul shows it up very quickly. “For how then could God judge the world?” Paul uncovers a simple contradiction – ‘You know God’s going to judge the world (it’s part of your argument) – but how can God judge the world if he doesn’t have anything to judge?’ Sin has been neatly removed from their equation – which is just foolish! This is what happens when you remove sin from your Christian worldview – you have a God who has nothing to judge, and therefore has no distinction between him and us – which is just insane! 

Paul cuts even further through the foolishness of all this in verse 7, But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? He’s saying,”You lot (obviously the group that is bringing these kinds of accusations against him), you lot call me a sinner, and a liar in what I say – but why condemn me for it if my sin glorifies God! You can’t have your cake and eat it too!” 

He finishes his scathing rebuke with a line that sums up the foolishness of all this talk – Why not do evil that good may come?…Their condemnation is just.

This got me thinking. These arguments sound ridiculous – as if anyone would believe them! But they’re not far off arguments I hear today. “How can God be fair in judging me for my sin, when he supposedly planned my sin to happen, supposedly because he wants to be glorified?!” I’m sure you’ve heard something like that before. Romans is clear. It’s not God’s sin. It’s yours (like you said). Therefore, you deserve condemnation. And you’ll get it. Your condemnation is just. This generation just wants to squirm out of sin any old way it can – point the finger at God, say there’s no absolute morality, say their sinless, blame someone else – they’re simply ridiculous responses, just like the ones Paul got! The condemnation of sinners has been just, their condemnation is just, and will be just. The next part of Romans 3 seeks to nail that very coffin once and for all… 

Thankful to God for helping me understand a passage I never really understood before,

Matt. 

 

 

Romans 3:1-4

1Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? 2Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. 3 What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
    ”That you may be justified in your words,  and prevail when you are judged.”

Romans 3:1-8 is without a doubt one of toughest parts of the NT to understand, and so I’ve split it up into two smaller chunks, vv1-4, then 5-8.

A good place to start understanding tricky passages is to look at what as come beforehand. In chapter 1, Paul introduces himself as an apostle of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel in which the righteousness of God is given as a gift, by faith to all who believe, Jew and Gentile alike (1:17). He then began showing us from 1:18 through chapter 2, that all mankind, Jew and Gentile are under sin and therefore need this gracious gift of God’s righteousness. In the last few  posts, we looked at the end of chapter 2, where Paul makes clear that being a Jew and knowing the law means nothing if you can’t keep it – and therefore, might as well have been uncircumcised Gentiles, and that Gentiles who understood that real circumcision was of the heart and by the inward cutting of the Spirit would in fact stand in judgement upon the Jews who did not! The objection then is this; “Well then Paul, what on earth is the advantage of being a Jew! What’s the point of outward circumcision if it does nothing to your standing before God? What’s so special about being God’s special people when all it seems to bring is judgment upon you?!” A lot rides on the answers to these questions, and this is the very objection Paul turns to now to begin chapter 3.

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way.  But why, having implied there are many advantages to being a Jew, does Paul list just one - the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God…Are you going to finish the list Paul? Well he does. John Piper helped me out here – Paul certainly finishes the list, and in fact, deals much more thoroughly with the topic in chapters 9-11. This is the rest of the list, Much in every way, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God…who are Israelites, to whom belongs the adoption as sons, and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the Law and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Christ according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen” (9:4-5). Piper suggests that Romans 3 is just a brief detour to deflect the counter-argument until he deals with it more fully later on, and it makes sense. 

But how does Paul deal with the problem before us; How can the Jews both be in a more secure and advantageous position before God (as his covenant people), and in a condemned position before God (as hypocrites who do not follow the law)? His answer in the following verses is very hard to read, and I’m still getting my head around it. But let’s have a go Verse 3;

What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? 4By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, ”That you may be justified in your words,  and prevail when you are judged.”

Let me try and rephrase Paul here; “So the Jews are being condemned. Therefore, they were unfaithful. Just because they are unfaithful, and sinned against God, that doesn’t mean God is unfaithful! God was faithful to his bride Israel – it was Israel that slept with the idolatrous nations. God would still be true, even if all humanity are a bunch of liars! God’s character is not in question here – the Jew’s character is! Even one of the greatest Jews, King David knew this. In Psalm 51, the psalm he prays after committing adultery with Bathsheba, he says, “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4). King David had many advantages as a Jew, but he didn’t hide behind them when he sinned against God! Being Jewish doesn’t cover unfaithfulness towards God. Being a Jew doesn’t change the way God sees sin. God is justified and declared righteous when he judges sinful humanity. Therefore, there is no contradiction. Jews have an advantage before God – even if many were unfaithful and were condemned by their sin and unfaithfulness.”

Paul takes this tangent a few steps further in vv5-8, which we’ll look at next time, and answers some more objections.

But in the mean time, why not reflect on your position before God? Do you hide your unfaithfulness and sin behind things? Do you point the finger back at God rather than at yourself? How do you stand before the righteous judge? If you are wise and humbled like David, you will see that God will righteously judge you – without bringing his character or faithfulness into question. Sin is sin. Sin is horrible.

If you don’t believe me, look at the cross.

Matt.

 

 

Ephesians 1:15-23

15For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

After a long few weeks of Christmas and beach mission, and as we start a brand new year (brand new only in number – everything else in this sinful world remains remarkably similar to last year…), I thought it best to return to Ephesians, to the amazing prayer that concludes chapter 1. I intend on praying it with you in mind; I would love it if you prayed it with me in mind.

Paul begins v15 For this reason. So obviously we need to remember what came before (which was a while ago). You might remember that I took forever to churn through the mind-blowing and world-changing truths contained in the first 14 verses of Ephesians. And so I should – they were incredible verses! The simplest summary of them is this – Everything that has happened to us, has come only through God’s grace, and it has all happened for God’s glory. All by His grace, all for His glory. Every spiritual blessing; sonship, adoption, redemption, forgiveness, inheritance, hope and Spirit – all to the praise of his glory (v6,12,13). That is the ultimate design and purpose of God, and you cannot dig any deeper. They are truths that were written by Paul to give us, among other things, unbreakable assurance and hope. For we were chosen before the foundation of the world, redeemed solely by the perfect blood of Christ, and given an inheritance that has been guaranteed by the Holy Spirit. If you ever doubt you’re going to heaven, ever having a tough week, read the first 14 verses of Ephesians 1. And then pray the prayer that follows it, for it is a prayer that has exactly the same design – hope.

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. Because of this great eternal hope we have (expressed in vv1-14), and because I have heard you are part of these promises (as Christians), I do not cease to thank God for you and remember you in my prayers. It is interesting to reflect at this point that even perfect knowledge of God’s overwhelming sovereignty in all things does not lead to prayerlessness – it leads to prayerfullness. If God were not sovereign, only then would there be no reason for prayer, for God would be powerless to do anything. No, confidence in the sovereign election of God leads Paul to evermore thankfulness, and prayers for Christians. He does not cease to give thanks for the Ephesians. The thing I usually do not cease in is prayerlessness. Perhaps I need to reflect more on the truths of vv1-14. I doubt I am alone.

The prayer, in accordance with the previous theology of hope and assurance, petitions God to make the Ephesians ever more sure of their hope and salvation. That God might (v17), give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, why? so that, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. (v18). There is no greater prayer for a Christian than this. That you might know God better, his plan better, so that you might better know the hope and inheritance you have. Because the clearer picture of heaven you have, the more heavenly your life on earth will be – and therefore, the more glory to God it will bring. Paul ends the prayer with a final request from v19; (that you may know) what is teh immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe, what is this power?, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places (v20). We live in the power of the resurrection, that defeated death and brought us hope and glory – for we know that the resurrected Christ now sits, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullnes of him who fills all in all. 

This is our King. This is my King. He is my friend. What a hope we have in Jesus Christ the Lord. This is his year, 2009 A.D.

Praying this prayer for you, please pray it for me,

Matt.